The present invention relates generally to a cable connecting structure of a solid state image sensing apparatus and, more particularly, to a camera cable connecting structure in a separate type camera composed of a camera head and a camera control unit.
In recent years, there has been a remarkably increasing demand for a separate type camera utilizing such a characteristic that a solid state image sensing device is easily reduced both in size and in weight. Under such circumstances, there has arisen a customer's new demand for a camera cable connecting method for connecting a camera head to a camera control unit (hereinafter abbreviated CCU), and especially a connecting mode for a camera head and a camera cable. Namely, a cable direct fitting type is desirable in terms of design as an external appearance of a connecting portion between the camera head and the camera cable. In terms of attaching and detaching the camera cable, however, it is desirable to incorporate a connector function.
The following is an explanation of a conventional method of connecting the camera head to the camera cable.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional cable direct fitting type connecting method. Designated at 31 in FIG. 1 is an image sensing device module unit having its lead terminals 35 to which terminal members 36 of a camera cable 34 are soldered. Thereafter, the image sensing device module unit is inserted into a body chassis 32 and a sheath chassis 33, and the connecting portion is fastened with a screw 37, whereby they are united. A cable direct fitting type camera head is thus completed. Note that a thread 38 is formed in an outer periphery of the sheath chassis 33; and a lens (not illustrated) is thereby mountable thereto.
FIG. 2 is another conventional example, showing a connector connecting method. FIG. 3 is a view fully illustrating a method of assembling the camera head. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the numeral 51 represents an image sensing device module unit having its lead terminals (not shown) to which a connecting plate 52 made of a flexible material is soldered. Indicated at 53 is a connector constituting the other end (opposite to the lens mounting side) of the camera head and having its one end provided with the lead terminals soldered to the connecting plate and the other end provided with a male connector connected to a female connector 41 integrally soldered to the camera cable 42. The numeral 54 denotes a sheath chassis into which a unit 55 consisting of the image sensing device, the connecting plate and the male connector is inserted. These components are fastened with a screw 56, and then the body chassis 57 and the sheath chassis 54 are also fastened with a screw, thus completing the camera head 43. The customer uses the camera by connecting the male connector of the camera head to the female connector 41 of a cable assembly 44.
In the conventional example described above, however, the external appearance of the camera based on the construction of FIG. 1 satisfies the demand of the customer because of the cable direct fitting type. Attaching and detaching the camera cable, however, involve demounting and mounting by hyperfine soldering. This presents such a problem that the operation is not easy, and the customer's demand can not be satisfied. Further, in the construction of FIG. 2, the camera cable is attached and detached by the connector system, which facilitates the operation and meets the customer's demand. In terms of the external appearance of the camera, however, the size of the female connector 41 is substantially equal to that of the camera head 43, which lacks in style. Thus, a problem also arises, wherein the demand of the customer can not be satisfied.